The Turner Fluke
by Ms Kitten
Summary: Violet's book has a whole other consequence...
1. Consequence Calling

Disclaimer: I do not own Private Practice or the characters within, they are creations of Shonda Rhimes and I am simply borrowing them for my own entertainment.

Author's Notes: All these parental storylines this season made me curious about Violet's parents, and from that this story was born. Several chapters are already finished and beta'd, so hopefully I'll manage a steady stream of updates. Many thanks to my close friend and beta, Mediatorsk for being my sounding board for my ideas as well as my writing.

AN2: Like it? Hate it? Have any kind of opinion about it? Please let me know, I live for it!

* * *

><p>The first thing Pete sees as he reaches the bottom of the staircase is his wife slamming the phone down onto the living room table, gritting her teeth in frustration. Violet's expression instantly softens when she notices Lucas looking up from his spot on the floor, where he's been playing with his new favorite toy for the past fifteen minutes. A large, bulky and bright red fire truck that uncle Coop surprised him with the last time he came over to baby-sit. Not really meant for a kid only a few months shy of his second birthday, but it has no choking hazards and Lucas likes making the wheels spin round and round.<p>

"Your mom again?" Pete inquires as Violet leans down to pick up their child.

Violet screws up her face, "Is it that obvious?"

Pete plants a gentle kiss on her forehead, then one on Lucas' temple, "It's the third time this week," he reminds her.

"Only third?" she asks miserably.

"What was it this time?"

"The same. With the book out and selling, my mother has decided it's the opportune time to have me fly across the country under the guise of her wanting to bond with her only grandson. However we both know what she's really after is another chance to parade my new 'accomplishment' around her circle of friends and coworkers. It's always been like that. You won't see a lot of cozy family photos around that house; instead you'll see thorough documentation of every diploma, every prize, every accomplishment... It's a shrine, not a home."

"Bana," Lucas exclaims, his word of the week, pointing to the kitchen, breaking the tension and causing both parents to laugh.

"Okay, big man," Pete chuckles as Violet hands the child over, "Let's see if we can find you that banana." Heading into the kitchen, he places the boy in his high chair before grabbing the fruit from the basket on the counter. He peals it and cuts a third of it up into small chunks and puts the plate in front of the child.

It's always messy when Lucas handles the food on his own; some of it always ends up on his clothes or on the floor. Sometimes, when the child either tires of the food or he's full, it ends up smeared into his hair, or he chucks it across the table. One time the boy managed to nail his father in the eye with a grape in the middle of Sunday breakfast. It didn't hurt; in fact it was quite comical to have their mundane conversation suddenly interrupted by the propelling fruit. It's less fun, though, when it's something sticky and prone to causing permanent stains, which is why they only give him a few pieces at a time.

Violet strokes the child's soft, silky hair and sighs, "I know I don't have many nice things to say about my parents, and God knows they won't be winning any parenting awards anytime soon… But I don't want to leave you with the impression that they are these monsters. They're just… misguided…"

Pete tucks a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "You almost died," he reminds her, "You almost died and they didn't come, didn't call. Hell, I barely left your side for a month and not once do I remember them calling to check up on you, their only daughter. Finally your mother makes contact and it's about the book. It's one thing to forgive the past, but she's still doing it. I'm surprised you're still taking her calls. You said it yourself; your mother wants in on the glory surrounding your accomplishment, and you can't let her. I know you're far more understanding than I am, but… there's a line."

Violet shrugs, a sad smile on her face, "They're my parents," she says matter-of-factly, "I don't have to like them or even love them, but I can't cut them out. With your mother…" she cuts herself off, the pain in his eyes still too fresh, "They're the only grandparents Lucas has left."

Pete is about to voice his objection, but Violet doesn't let him, "I'm not saying I'll give into their demands. I didn't invite them to our wedding, and I am not about to take my son and fly across the country so they can look good in front of their friends. But for my sake and for Lucas' sake, I need to at least leave the door open, you know?"

Cupping her cheek with his right hand, Pete leans in and plants a kiss on her forehead, "You're far too forgiving, has anyone ever told you that?"

Meeting his gaze, Violet gives him one of her trademark wide smiles, "My husband does… all the time."


	2. Freedman Frantics

Author's Notes: As always many thanks to my wonderful beta, Mediatorsk. Here's the second installment of this fic, enjoy, and tell me what you thought!

* * *

><p>"I'm beginning to think you were onto something when you opted not to invite any family," Cooper announces the minute he passes through the door. Deflating onto the couch, the man lets out a loud groan.<p>

Looking up from her computer, Violet chuckles as she enquires, "Your side or Charlotte's this time?"

"Believe it or not, mine."

Having met pretty much the whole Freedman clan up through the years, this makes Violet arch her brows in surprise, "What happened?"

"You remember my great aunt, Margaret, whose memory isn't always 'quite there'?" Cooper doesn't wait for verification, "Well, Charlotte and I just came back from picking her up at the airport, and she proceeded to ask me 'what I was doing with this blonde woman, and whatever happened to that nice girl, Violet, that I was seeing?'"

"Ouch," Violet laughs. "And, how did Charlotte handle it?"

"She was amazing, she re-introduced herself, reminded Aunt Margaret of the last time they met and asked her how her Schnauzers were doing. She really charmed her."

"So, it sounds like it was a pretty embarrassing moment, but as you said, Charlotte handled it..."

"She shouldn't _have_ to handle it," Cooper objects, the frustration evident in his voice. "My family should _know_ who she is…"

"Well, you can't really blame Aunt Margaret for her memory being off," Violet points out, "What is she like 90?"

"Almost," Cooper nods. "I just hate this making her somehow feel inferior to you."

Violet frowns, "Has Charlotte said anything?"

"No, and when I tried talking to her about it, she brushed it off, reminded me she's a trained physician and knows a thing or two about dementia. But it's bothering her, I can just tell. You've always been kind of a thorn in her side. Between the whole me moving in with you thing, and you having been part of my family for so long… and it really doesn't help that there at some point was a betting pool going on how long it would take us to wise up and get together…"

Wriggling her ring finger, Violet jokes, "A bit too married for that to work out."

The phone interrupts the moment. Violet leans forward and checks the display. Recognizing the number, she presses 'mute' and waits for the caller to give up.

Cooper arches his brows, "You're not going to answer?"

"It's my mother," Violet explains. "I took the first three calls, and now I'm just…" she shrugs, "…letting it ring. I've reached my quota for the day."

Cooper makes a face, "Really, now she calls?" Realization dawning on him, he sits up, "Wait. Is this about the book? It is! It's about the book, isn't it? What, is she mad about the things you wrote in it?"

"Knowing her, she's probably not even broken the cover. She's doing her usual proud mother routine. It'll die down once she actually sits down to read the damn thing…," Violet shrugs and adds, "…if she ever will…"

"So, she's just calling multiple times a day to congratulate you...?" Cooper gives her his patented 'I know there's more to this than you're telling me' look.

"She's hounding me to come home, because _apparently_ she wants to 'meet her grandson'."

Cooper shakes his head, "_Unbelievable_," he exclaims.

Before he has the chance to say anything further, there's a light knock and Charlotte pokes her head through the door, "Thought I'd find you in here." Violet doesn't miss the slightly disapproving look coming in her direction before Charlotte turns to Cooper, again, "Duke called to say they have to push for an earlier lunch. You got any patients comin' in or can I tell him to go ahead and make reservations?"

"No patients," Cooper assures her.

"Alright, be ready in ten. Momma doesn't like to be kept waitin'." Charlotte leaves in direction of her office.

"Duty calls," Cooper jokes and gets up from the couch. "As for your mom, keep up what you're doing. She lost any right to your life when she didn't come see you in the hospital."

"You and Pete form a club or something?" she calls after him.

"T-shirts and everything," Cooper calls back over his shoulder.


	3. Phone Terror

Author's Notes: Happy to see everyone's interest in this story :) Keep it up! Here's the third installment for you, as always tell me what you think! Many thanks to my wonderful beta, Mediatorks.

* * *

><p>Pete's eyes snap open as the sound of cell phone vibrations against a wooden surface reaches his ears. His hand sleepily fumbling around the nightstand, it takes him a few seconds to realize the sound is coming from the other side of the bed.<p>

"Answer your phone, damnit," Violet murmurs, groggily, her voice slightly muffled by his shoulder.

"Not my phone," he replies.

Letting out a groan, Violet rolls over to her own side of the bed and reaches for the phone, "Hello?"

Pete rolls onto his back, stretching out both arms and legs before picking up his wristwatch to check the time. 7:52 am. He's surprised Lucas let them sleep this long.

"Ma, seriously, couldn't this have waited until a more decent hour?"

Pete feels himself clenching his teeth as he realizes who's responsible for this wake-up call.

"I realize you've been up five hours already, but it's only…," Violet motions for Pete to show her the time, "…eight o'clock here… No, I can't turn my phone off at night. Patients sometimes call this number… He's still asleep, ma, out of all possible mornings you managed to pick the one where the kid actually sleeps in…"

"That's it," Pete announces, snatching the phone from Violet, "Mrs. Turner, I realize as Violet's mother you have a certain privilege to call your daughter every now and then," he resists pointing out her lack of contact for the past two years, "but not at eight o'clock on a Sunday morning, and especially not after weeks of hounding her to come visit you and your husband, when she already told you 'no'. It's not news that you have a grandson, and Violet's address has been the same all the years I've known her. If you're as interested in getting to know your grandson as you say you are, you will do so on our terms. Stop calling. You know where to find us."

He hangs up before the woman has a chance to respond. Handing the phone back to Violet, he notices the slightly stunned expression on her face.

"I can't believe you actually did that."

"Someone had to," Pete shrugs, "I get that you want to keep the door open… even if I don't understand why you'd want to subject yourself to being hurt again, I get that that's what you want, but you have to demand something in return. If they ever do come, then fine, we'll give them a chance, _one_ chance," he stresses.

Smiling, Violet leans in and kisses his cheek, "Thank you," she whispers, "…so, want to get started on breakfast while I go get Lucas?"

Cupping her cheek, Pete first kisses her lips, then jaw, slowly moving downwards with every kiss, "He'll call for us when he needs us," he murmurs against her neck, "Right now I want to get naked with my wife, if that's okay…"

Pulling on his shirt, she whispers, "I think that can be arranged…"


	4. Maria's Message

Author's Notes: Now, I don't know if I should interpret the sudden silence as you guys not liking the last chapter, but even if that was the case, I'd rather you tell me than remaining silent... just sayin'... As always many thanks to the glorious Mediatorsk for her beta-work :)

* * *

><p>Returning from a rather lengthy emergency house call, Violet pulls her phone out of her purse to turn the sound back on. Five missed calls... She quickly recognizes four of them coming from her mother's cell phone number, which she dismisses right away. Sadly Pete's rant didn't make the impact they hoped it would... It's the one from the nanny that has her arching her brows, partly in confusion, but also in worry.<p>

Quickly re-dialing, she finds herself tapping her right foot impatiently as she waits for the woman to answer. One ring, two rings, three rings… "_Hello_?"

"Maria? It's Violet. I noticed you called, is everything alright?"

"_Miss, strange woman come looking, I sent her away, but she insist she mother. Miss no tell me expecting company, so I call…_"

For a moment Violet feels a hint of panic, hearing only the words 'strange woman', 'insist' and 'mother', conjuring in her head an image of Katie Kent once again showing up at her door…

"_Miss?_" Maria's confused voice breaks the spell, "_If come back, I tell her go see you or send away?_"

Her logical side kicking in, Violet quickly realizes she's being silly. Maria's tone of voice alone tells her whoever this strange woman is, she didn't alert any worry, only confusion. The feeling of unease, however, refuses to leave her chest as she steps into the elevator, pressing five.

"_Miss?_" Maria's voice reminds her that the woman is still waiting for a reply.

"Um… if she comes back just have her call me."

"_Okay Miss, I do._" Hanging up, Violet can't help but smile as she recalls how many times she's specifically told Maria to call her by her first name. Despite the woman's eager-to-please nature, that particular instruction seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Occasionally she will get a 'Miss Violet', but that's as close as she gets.

Watching the floor indicator, her thoughts drift back to the mystery woman and the tightness in her chest returns. Reaching the fifth floor she sets course for her office, but stops dead in her tracks before fully leaving the elevator. Her body on auto pilot, she takes the two necessary steps backwards and presses four.

Quietly thanking the higher powers that he isn't with a patient, Violet closes the door of Pete's office behind her and plops down onto the couch.

"Violet?" she hears her confused husband say.

"My mother's here," she says without even looking up.

"What?"

"My mother," she repeats, this time she meets his gaze, "Here… at the practice… in my office…"

There's a slight pause. "Did she say what she wants?"

"I don't know, I haven't talked to her yet…"

Pete's sigh doesn't go by unnoticed, nor the slightly disapproving tone in his voice, "Violet…"

"I will, I will," she quickly assures him, knowing she needs to practice what she's been preaching to him for the past couple of months, "I just need a couple of minutes."

Her focus lands on some lint on the floor, and she doesn't notice him leaving his desk until she feels his arm across her back. Leaning back into his embrace, she looks straight into his eyes. "Damnit," she whispers.

"You okay?" he asks, his voice now taking a more concerned tone.

"I wasn't expecting her to show up," Violet admits. "She never shows up…"

"Well… you have been ignoring her calls for the better part of the week," Pete reminds her with a smile. "Isn't this what you wanted, though? For her to come to you for once?"

"Careful what you wish for, right…?"

Pete chuckles and places a kiss on her temple.

Reluctantly leaving her husband's embrace, Violet announces, "Time to go face the dragon…"

"Good luck," Pete calls out after her. Violet briefly turns around and smiles before leaving the office.


	5. Mommy Dearest

Author's Notes: A major thank you for everyone who came out of the woodwork to let me know you hadn't abandoned me and to some new reviewers, please keep at it, feedback is a drug and I am an addict ;) Also major thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk.

* * *

><p>She feels a bit weird for knocking at her own door, but that's what she winds up doing to get her mother's attention.<p>

Putting on that all too familiar fake smile, the woman gets up to greet her. "Violet," Mary Anne says in a tone that matches her smile all too well.

"Mom," Violet politely responds.

"Well..," her mother takes in the room. "This is… not what I expected…" In other words code for '_Is this really the best you could do?_'

Ignoring the subtext the best she can, Violet forces a smile. "Patients respond better in a homely setting," she explains, "It helps them feel more comfortable." She takes a seat opposite her mother and gestures for her to sit back down.

"I'm sure," Mary Anne nods.

Deciding to cut to the chase, Violet asks, "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"I stopped by your house to let you know your father and I were in town… but I don't think your housekeeper understood me very well…"

"Nanny, mom," Violet corrects.

"Really?" Mary Anne purses her lips, the disapproval shining through all too brightly, "_That_'s who you have taking care of your child?"

Gritting her teeth, she ponders whether it's actually worth it to take up the fight with her mother so early in the visit. "Maria has great references, she's raised three kids of her own and most importantly, Lucas adores her." It's as diplomatic a response as she can muster.

"I'm sure she's a lovely girl." In any other situation Violet would find it amusing that her mother is referring to a 45 year old woman as a _girl_. It is however hard to see the humor in a situation where her life choices are under attack. "But with her obvious poor English," Mary Anne continues, "I'm concerned what affect this will have on Lucas' language development."

It takes every ounce of self control to maintain a polite tone. The angry, defiant twelve-year-old Violet wants to stand up and tell her mother to shut up, the adult Violet however recognizes that yelling isn't going to get her anywhere with her mother.

"He's doing just fine," she instead says, "His vocabulary is expanding and if he picks up a couple of Spanish words along the way, then more power to him."

"I'm sure you're right," Mary Anne says in that polite, but patronizing voice that tells her she's not.

"So, what are you and dad in town for?" Knowing how dragged out these non-arguments can get; Violet takes the first available opportunity to change topic.

"Well, your… boyfriend…"

"Husband," Violet interjects, not missing the raised brow her mother gives her in response.

"Husband," Mary Anne repeats, pausing slightly to absorb the news, "He told your father and I that in order to get to know our grandchild we had to show up in person, so that's what we're here for."

Not really knowing what to think or feel about that, Violet says, "Okay… um, well, Pete and I still have some patients coming in, so…"

"Meet us for dinner tonight," Mary Anne suggests in that tone that tells her it's not as much a suggestion as it is a demand.

Vivid childhood memories of sitting in silence at a Chinese restaurant immediately pops into her head and Violet wants more than anything to say 'no', but instead she gives her mother a polite smile.

"I'll check with Pete," she promises.

"Don't forget to bring Lucas," her mother tells her before leaving.

Once her mother is out of eye- and earshot Violet drops her head into her hands and groans.

A gentle knock on the door frame snaps her out of her trance and she looks up to see Charlotte popping her head through the doorway, "You alright in there?"

Violet frowns in confusion. With Charlotte constantly going hot and cold on her, it's easy to forget there once was a time where she considered the southern woman a friend. Part of her still wonders what on earth happened to that friendship. In a way it's as though when the woman moved out, her friendship did, too.

She could easily lie to Charlotte and say it's nothing, but truth be told she could use the company, even if the company doesn't always seem to think that much of her.

"My mother just showed up," she tells the blonde.

"I know," comes Charlotte's surprising reply. "Coop pointed her out to me. What she want?"

"To meet Lucas… and also to criticize every aspect of my life," Violet shrugs.

Charlotte chuckles and without waiting for invitation, the woman plops down onto the couch next to her, "That's mothers for ya."

"Some, at least," Violet agrees.

"You know, I get it now." Violet frowns, waiting for Charlotte to elaborate, "Why you hoard in on Coop's mom…"

"I don't…," Violet objects.

"Fine," Charlotte cuts her off, "Why you're so close with her… and practically every other stinkin' family member Coop has…" Violet can't help but notice the slightly bitter tone in that last part. "She's the mom neither one of us got to have," Charlotte's tone once again reverts back to her softer voice… God, it's exhausting just keeping up with the woman's intonation.

"She definitely makes up for a few things," Violet agrees, at the same time wondering why Charlotte all of a sudden seems to be this expert on her parental relationship. What exactly has Cooper told her? "Is that why you hate me," she asks, "Because Cooper's family likes me?"

"Hate's a strong word… I just don't like being compared to you."

Violet frowns, "Is that what they're doing?"

"Not to my face…"

Violet places her hand on top of Charlotte's, giving it a little squeeze, "Look, if this is about Aunt Margaret…"

Charlotte's eyes quickly narrow and she pulls her hand away, "'Takes more than the ramblings of a demented old woman to rattle my chain. 'Sides, weren't we talkin' 'bout your mother, anyway?"

Violet could easily point out that it was Charlotte who brought the conversation over to Cooper's family, but it's clear the woman is not willing to discuss her issues just yet. "How much did Cooper tell you, exactly?"

"'Bout what?" the woman frowns.

"My mother?"

"Not that much," Charlotte shrugs, "Coop had to call your folks when you got attacked, said some things then. Only time it ever really came up."

"I'm sure he gave you a colorful impression of my family," Violet recalls the one and only time Cooper ever went back East with her, resulting in an open-ended invitation to spend any and every holiday with the Freedman family.

"He did use the phrase 'raised by wolves'."

Violet chuckles, the phrase feels oddly fitting.

Spotting her next appointment out in the lobby, Charlotte gets up from the couch. She's almost at the door when she turns around, "Wittiness aside," she says, "How you copin'? Your mom showin' up all out'a the blue?"

Taking a moment to think, Violet concludes, "I'm alright," then quickly adds, "Seriously considering committing matricide sometime this week, but other than that…"

Charlotte chuckles, "Don't we all…"


	6. Turner, Turner Toil and Trouble

Author's Notes: Glad everyone liked (okay, maybe "liked" is the wrong word, but you guys get what I mean) the introduction of Mary Anne (I figured a true narcisist would be likely to at least partially name their only child after themselves), in this one Vi's father makes an appearance as well. Enjoy and review ;) And just a quick shout out to my beta, Mediatorsk: you're awesome!

* * *

><p>They don't look at all how he pictured them in his mind. From everything Violet's been saying, Pete was expecting something akin to Bizzy, but Mary Anne looks surprisingly down-to-earth compared to Addison's snob of a mother. She's elegantly dressed, of course, but without any designer labels in sight. Her husband, Stephen is a vision in tweed and Pete halfway expects the man to openly defy California's smoking ban by pulling out a pipe to make the ensemble complete.<p>

Pete still imagines the man chewing on the pipe when he says, "So, this is the man that whisked away my little girl." What he really does, of course, is stiffly reach out his hand to greet his son-in-law. As any meeting between men where evaluation is involved, they greet each other in an almost bone-crushing handshake.

"Pete Wilder," Pete greets the man, then the woman (with a bit milder handshake, of course).

It doesn't slip by him that both parents merely greet their daughter with slight nods, a gesture Violet reciprocates, "Mom, dad." Putting his arm around her, Pete briefly wonders how it is his wife turned out to be the affectionate and caring woman she is.

"And this must be Lucas." It's the first time Pete sees a smile on Mary Anne's face, but there's something off about it, like it's merely a mask she's putting on. He turns his head slightly to the right and sees a much more genuine smile on Violet's face.

Hearing his name being called, Lucas turns his head and takes in the two strangers in front of him, "Hm?"

A waiter greets them and takes them over to their reserved table. Violet straps Lucas into the high chair standing between Pete's seat and her own and gives the boy his favorite car aside from the big bulky fire truck to occupy him. Mary Anne takes the seat next to her daughter, while Stephen chooses to sit closer to his son-in-law.

The four proceed to peruse the menu in awkward silence, only interrupted by the odd squeal as Lucas drives the car back and forth on the table, picking it up at intervals to make the wheels spin. The ordering is also more or less done in silence, until that is, when Violet asks the waiter for child friendly utensils to go with Lucas' order of chicken and rice.

"Really?" even if he ignores the pursed lips and frown, it's obvious from Mary Anne's tone of voice that she disapproves, "You're letting him eat by himself?"

"He's two," comes Violet's response, "He's been handling his own food for a couple of months, now."

Pete hides a smirk as Violet intentionally neglects to mention that they are still being careful with letting the boy eat dinner on his own, due to his habit of going both hands in once the utensils become old news.

"So, Pete," Stephen changes the subject, "How is it we haven't heard of you before?"

Recognizing the attempt to put him on edge, Pete responds with a casual shrug, "I'm surprised you haven't," he says, his thoughts drifting to the many times he's mentioned in Violet's book. Looks like Violet was right about her parents only being interested in the prestige surrounding her getting published rather than the actual story she's telling.

"How so?" Mary Anne follows up.

"Well, considering we've been working closely together for the better part of a decade in a small medical practice, it's surprising my name hasn't come up in conversation at some point," Pete explains, making a subtle dig at the couple's failure to keep up with their daughter's life throughout the years. He doesn't even bring up the very obvious things, like the fact that he and Violet have an almost two year old son together and have been married for nearly a year.

"And that's how you two met?" Mary Anne skillfully maneuvers around Pete's unspoken accusation, "Through work?"

"Pete's an old friend of Sam and Naomi's," Violet chimes in, "He joined the practice not long after Cooper and I did."

"You're not a shrink as well, are you?" Stephen asks. It's obvious from his tone alone that neither he nor Mary Anne approves of Violet's chosen profession.

"No, I do holistic medicine," Pete replies, intentionally holding back his background in infectious diseases and critical care. It's become clear to him that the Turners like to brag and he has no intention of being part of it. If they can't see their daughter for more than her accomplishment, then he'd rather have them see him as a disappointment as well.

"You mean with the needles, and incense and all that other humbug?" It's Stephen's way of calling him a quack.

Pete smirks, "You'd be surprised what a couple of specifically targeted needles can accomplish."

Already losing interest, Mary Anne changes subject again, "Now, tell me more about your wedding. For starters, how did you propose?"

Never before in his life has Pete been this grateful to see a waiter approaching his table. Spotting the slightly flushed cheeks of his wife, it's obvious that Violet feels the same way. He never saw the flaw in how he proposed until this moment. Unless the momentary distraction is enough to make her forget about it, Mary Anne is going to be expecting an answer of some kind and 'naked while on top of your daughter' is not going to do.

The waiter places the entrees in front of the four adults and a child sized portion of chicken and rice in front of Lucas. Typically like a mother, Violet takes her own knife and fork and divides the pieces of chicken on Lucas' plate into smaller, safer to swallow bits. Satisfied, she hands the boy the red plastic spoon with the thicker handle that the waiter brought and turns her attention back to her own food.

Pete feels Mary Anne's eyes digging holes into his skull, but pretends he doesn't notice while searching his mind for ways of making the story of his proposal more family friendly.

"It was in the morning," Violet says, catching Pete's attention with a look that says 'I've got your back'. "We were doing our regular routine…" _Earth-shattering sex_, Pete thinks to himself and struggles to hide a smirk. "…and Pete just looked at me this… way… and then he asked."

"Mhm…" Mary Anne seems unimpressed with the story, "And the wedding?" she asks, "Is there some reason we are only hearing about it now?"

Truth of the matter is that neither Pete nor Violet brought up the subject of family when planning the wedding. It was never even a discussion. But that's not an answer they can give, when the goal is to keep the Turners involved.

"It was all just very last minute," is Violet's diplomatic response, "We didn't see much point in waiting, so we rented a rose garden at their first available date and made everything else work for us. All our friends live locally; most of them even work with us at the practice. It was a small outdoor ceremony, surrounded by friends, no family."

"I'm sure that made Pete's family very happy," Mary Anne snarks.

"My mother's dead," Pete informs her.

A normal response would be to express sympathy and condolence for his loss, but none of the Turners seem too concerned with that. "Well then," Mary Anne says sweetly, "At least she didn't suffer the indignity of finding out second-hand that her son got married."

Pete is about to lose his cool when something miraculous occurs. A sticky white substance flies across the table and hits Mary Anne's dress. The chunk of rice leaves a noticeable brown trail as it slides down the crème-white fabric. All four adults turn their attention to Lucas, who's not only covered top to toe in sticky grains of rice, but also seems to have got his little hands on the bowl of soy sauce that had originally been placed closer to the center of the table.

The sweetest, most innocent expression on his face, the boy picks up his spoon and hands it to Violet, "Mama?"

Violet struggles to conceal a snort when picking the boy up to take him to the restroom to get him cleaned up. Pete discretely leans in and whispers, "For that he's getting ice cream for dessert."


	7. Late

Author's Notes: It's my birthday, so I decided to celebrate by giving you guys another chapter, enjoy. As regard to a couple of questions I got in reviews, I realize there are CharCoop fans reading this story, and I love that, but I do hope they remember that this is primarily a ViP story and thereby not all chapters will have CharCoop content. Some will, other won't. Hope you're cool with that. As always major shout-out to my wonderful beta, Mediatorsk!

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think?" Violet gives a slow twirl, showing off the maroon dress, "Do I make a presentable 'best man'?"<p>

"Presentable is not exactly the word I'd use," a guttural growl escapes Pete's lips as he snakes his arms around her waist, attacking her perfumed neck with soft kisses.

"Pete, seriously," Violet laughs, only making half-assed attempts at pushing her amorous husband away, "If we get this dress wrinkled then Cooper… okay, Cooper isn't going to care, but I don't exactly want to give Charlotte another reason to hate me …"

"Then," Pete slowly unzips the dress, "let's get you out of it…" He slips the dress off of her shoulders, trailing kisses along her clavicle.

"Pete…" Violet's voice carries only a hint of objection, "We'll be late…"

Pete only momentarily tears his attention away from her neck-area, "I have it on good authority that Cooper and Charlotte ran off to fool around in a storage shed in the middle of our wedding… along with Cooper trying to talk you out of marrying me, I figure this is the least they owe us…"

The dress drops to the floor without any further protests…

Post coital bliss is only interrupted by noises from across the hall. "Sounds like someone's woken up from his nap," Violet murmurs, giving her husband one more kiss before gently nudging him to get up. Giving herself a few more seconds to recover, she watches Pete as he pulls on his pants and shirt.

"You better lose that grin before the wedding," she playfully warns him.

"Prepare to lose that dress the minute we get back," he counters, causing her to laugh as he leaves for their son's bedroom.

Half an hour later Lucas is both fed and dressed and playing on the floor with his truck, while Pete adjusts his tie and brushes lint off his jacket. Violet has yet to show her face downstairs and Pete grins smugly as he thinks about the way he thoroughly messed up her hairdo.

The door bell rings and almost immediately he hears Violet's voice from upstairs, "Pete, can you get that? I'm still fighting it out with the flat iron…"

Chuckling to himself, Pete turns to make sure Lucas is still playing nicely at his spot and not getting into any mischief that might delay them further. His good mood however evaporates as he opens the door to find the Turners on the other side, "What are you doing here?"

Dinner didn't go any better after Lucas' miniature food fight. All throughout the evening conversation had been laced with passive aggressive remarks that the couple altered between counter-arguing and stepping around. It was a miracle neither of them had lost their cool by the time they left to put Lucas to bed.

"You're dressed up," Mary Anne remarks, a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Yes, we're going to a wedding," Pete explains.

"Oh," Mary Anne's eyes suddenly light up, "Then we could be of assistance, take Lucas off your hands for the day, give the boy a break from that _nanny_." She makes no effort to hide the disdain she feels about the couple's choice of caretaker.

"He's the ring bearer," Pete counters, grateful for the excuse. He doesn't mention the part where Maria will come to pick Lucas up after the ceremony, freeing both parents up to enjoy the night together. He might have promised Violet to give her parents a proper chance, but he draws a line at leaving his child alone with these people.

"I'm done, I'm done," Violet announces as she hurries down the stairs, "I swear, that's the last time I let you…" She stops mid-sentence when she spots her parents, "Mom? Dad?"

"Violet," Mary Anne's fake smile and faux maternal tone could fool anyone who doesn't know her, but they give Pete the chills.

"W-what are you doing here?" Violet looks at her parents with a nonplussed expression on her face.

"They came to offer to watch Lucas for us," Pete quickly explains.

"Well, he's the ring bearer, so…"

"Whose wedding is it you're attending?" Stephen asks.

"It's Cooper's," Violet answers, "Cooper and Charlotte's…"

"I see," Mary Anne says shortly, "And is this one another parentless affair or was that just the two of you?"

Pete clenches his fists. More than anything he wants to speak up, but what he has to say would require a lot more time than what they currently have, so he forces himself to let it slide, "You know what," he says instead, "We really should get going, so…" He quickly flashes Violet the time.

"Damnit," Violet curses under her breath, "I'm sorry," she quickly apologizes to her parents, "It's just that we're running late, and Lucas is the ring bearer and I'm best man, so this is… bad…"

Pete turns to pick up Lucas, while Violet grabs the bags and locks the door. "Some other time," she promises, as they both rush past her parents in the direction of the car.


	8. Second Thoughts

Author's Notes: Okay, so I wrote this before even the promo for 4x20 came out, so it's a lot different from what actually happens, but with this story already lacking the Katie-aspect it was bound to be anyway, so enjoy _my_ version of it, lol. As always, many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk!

* * *

><p>Mere coincidence has it that Violet opted not to leave her cell with Pete when it was time to get up front. And it's sheer luck that she actually registers the vague vibrations coming from her purse. Managing a subtle peek at the screen, she reads what can only be a sign of pre-wedding jitters, <em>'Can you get away?'<em>

Not wanting to alarm anyone, she keeps a straight face as she casually shows the text to Amelia, "If anyone asks, Lucas is having a meltdown."

"Got it," the brunette replies.

Violet starts making her way up the aisle, only to be stopped by Pete sitting on the third row, "Everything alright?" There's a hint of worry in his voice.

"Best man duties," Violet whispers, "But don't tell anyone."

She makes it to the main house without being stopped by anyone else, heads up the staircase and makes a right towards Cooper's changing room. The man seemed perfectly fine when she left him only half an hour earlier, so Violet can't help but wonder what happened.

"If you're expecting me to jingle my car keys in front of you and offer to take you away, think again," Violet says with a wink as she opens the doors, subtly making a dig at the way Cooper handled her own pre-wedding jitters nearly a year ago.

"Some friend you are," Cooper mock-pouts.

The light banter reply genuinely surprises her, as Violet expected to see a nervous wreck. "Okay, so if you're not freaking out, what's with the text?"

"Well, as you already know, our families coming to town didn't exactly go off without a hitch…"

Violet nods, recalling the several times Cooper ended up on her couch this week.

"It started innocently enough," Cooper shrugs, "Some interference about the wedding, some offhand comments about how we live our lives, then it just… escalated… to a point where even our choice in partner was up for discussion…"

"Please don't tell me this somehow is linked to the betting pool…" Violet groans, "Besides, I thought your mother adored Charlotte."

"She does," Cooper insists, "Sure, she's not so fond of Charlotte's reservations about having kids, but up until the rehearsal dinner, she was perfectly happy with Charlotte marrying into the family."

Violet frowns, "What happened?"

"Our families finally met…"

Violet doesn't know all too much about Charlotte's family, only the few minor things Charlotte mentioned while still living with her, combined with Cooper's recap of his own venture to Charlotte's childhood home. But having known Cooper's family for well over a decade, Violet can certainly imagine what kind of collision of worlds it must have been. The privileged Kings versus the down-to-earth Freedmans.

"Between my mother envisioning Charlotte's mother as the future Charlotte and Charlotte's mother deeming me not good enough to marry into her family, we're no longer sure about doing this…"

"Wait, so you're _both_ backing out?" Violet feels almost dizzy with confusion.

"Hell no," Cooper quickly objects, "We're doing this. We're just not so sure about doing it in front of family…"

"…Well, I don't know how you can get around that, with all of them here, waiting for the ceremony to start." Violet hates to point out the obvious.

"Which is why we've been talking about sneaking away... Go down to City Hall, exchange vows, sign the papers and then sneak back here for the actual reception."

"Are you sure you want to let your families control you like this? I mean, a wedding only happens once, you should be able to get everything you want out of your big day…"

"You didn't seem to mind throwing yours together at the blink of an eye," Cooper retorts with raised brows.

"I still got everything that I wanted from it," Violet points out. Taking a seat in front of her best friend, she takes his hand and holds it between her palms, "Pete and I threw ours together at the first available date because we already knew what we wanted; nice and simple, surrounded by the people we love. We didn't really think much about the details, more picked from whatever was made available to us. But you and Charlotte, you've been working towards this day for… well, if we're to be really specific… since her impromptu proposal back when I was still pregnant with Lucas… You even fought over some of the details, so don't try to say they don't matter…"

"We'd still have the reception, which in all fairness is the bigger part of the wedding. I know I made a big stink to Charlotte about how I want my family to be there, but if they're gonna cause us grief, then I'd rather keep them away from the actual ceremony. Let them hound me about it after the fact…"

"Oh, trust me, you don't want that," Violet groans, "My parents have been on me non-stop about not inviting them to the wedding. I can tell Pete's on the verge of losing his cool."

"Are you kidding me? After everything that's happened they still think they're entitled to anything regarding your life?"

Violet gives Cooper her 'you've met my parents' look.

"But wait, so by saying I'm going to regret not including my parents, does that mean you're regretting it? That, if you'd had a chance to go back and do it differently, you would?"

Violet sighs and mildly shakes her head, "Apples and oranges, Coop," she reminds him.

"I still want an answer," he demands.

"Honestly?" Violet sighs as she takes a moment to think, "Probably not, I mean, if they were already in town, then maybe just for the sake of shutting them up… but then again, maybe not. I can't say I would've been keen to have them witness my little Runaway Bride moment…"

Cooper chuckles at the memory, "Well, you made it down the aisle in the end," he offers.

Violet gives her best friend a smile, "You will, too, Coop. Even if your families give you grief, nothing is going to stop you and Charlotte from doing this. You just need to block out the bad and focus on what really matters. If you and Charlotte really want to make a run for City Hall, then I will back you, fairly warn you about potential familial consequences that might arise from such a decision, but still back you. However, you have to remember, Coop, that your parents love you and only want what's best for you. Do you really want to deprive them of their one chance to see their only son getting married?"

Cooper shrugs, seemingly unsure about what to do.

"Talk to Charlotte again," Violet suggests, "Find out where both your heads are at. Make sure that whatever you choose you won't regret it."


	9. No Regrets

Author's Notes: Again, this was written before 4x20 aired, I imagined a slightly different outcome, lol. But enjoy and tell me what you thought of my take on it, as always many thanks to my wonderful beta, Mediatorsk!

* * *

><p>Violet giggles as she stumbles across the threshold, partly due to the alcohol coursing through her veins, partly from the sheer embarrassment of almost falling flat on her face in the presence of her son's nanny. The only reason she's still standing on her own two feet is because of Pete's quick reflexes. She wouldn't say she's drunk. She's a grown woman and can hold her alcohol thank-you-very-much. Tipsy, she can agree to tipsy.<p>

Maria momentarily tears her eyes off the TV, showing some kind of Spanish medical soap, to greet her employers, "_Hola_," she says, cheerfully, "You have good time?"

"Plenty of alcohol," Pete quips, giving a subtle nod to the woman in his arms.

Violet chooses to ignore her husband's cheeky remark and instead asks, "Everything go alright here?"

"_Si_, Miss," Maria nods, "Lucas go to sleep at eight, no wake up."

"Thank you, again, for doing this," Violet says, beyond grateful for everything the woman does for them. Maria has been a life-saver more than once.

"Yes, thank you," Pete chimes in.

"Is no problem," Maria shakes her head and smiles as she gathers her things, "Lucas is sweet boy."

Pete sees the woman out, while Violet heads up the stairs. Ever since Lucas came back into her life, she has made it a habit of always stopping by his room on her way to bed. Even when she's so exhausted all she can think about is her head hitting the pillow, Violet needs that one last look at her child, to remind herself not to take any of it for granted. He's not even two years old yet and she's already had to fight for him twice.

She bends down and kisses the top of his head, careful not to disturb the sleeping child, "Night, Boo-boo," she whispers.

The boy sighs in his sleep, but otherwise remains still. Hypnotized by the steady rise and fall of her son's little chest, Violet squeals in surprise when she feels two arms snake around her waist, gently pulling her backwards towards the door.

"Pete," Violet laughs, inwardly worrying her high pitch outburst might wake the sleeping toddler. "What are you doing?"

"I told you earlier to be prepared to lose that dress when we got home," Pete murmurs as he nibbles her neck, the light vibration from his voice making her shiver. Seeing no sign of their son stirring, she allows her husband to pull her backwards out of the room…

Their entangled limbs only halfway covered by the sheet, Violet's head rests on Pete's chest, enjoying the feel of him running his hand through her hair. "You know what I realized today?" she murmurs, "How glad I am that we decided not to do the whole big family wedding. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad that everything worked out for Cooper and Charlotte. But my parents… even with all the flack they're giving us about leaving them out, truth of the matter is that they would have just ruined the day for us… And knowing them, they'd just find something else to criticize..."

Pete kisses the top of her head, "I'm sorry," he sighs, "I wish that their showing up could mean that they were looking to change things…"

"…but it isn't," Violet acknowledges, "I know… And yet, I just can't get myself to give up…"

"…because the child in you still longs for the affection and recognition they never gave you," Pete nods, "I know."

"Thought I was the shrink in the family," Violet jokes, then turns slightly more serious, "We really are the same, aren't we?"

"Yeah…" Pete sighs.

Violet doesn't like to get this serious while lying naked in her husband's arms, so in an attempt to change the subject she says, "How adorable was Lucas today… I mean, even with his ill-timed round of hide and go seek?"

Pete chuckles as the image of his son dropping to the floor in the middle of the aisle and crawling under the nearest chair comes back to him. The boy was halfway through to the other side of the row before one of the wedding guests managed get a hold of him. Violet ended up leaving her post up at the front to help guide the child up the aisle, getting the wedding back on track, "At least he didn't throw the rings," he points out.

"Oh God," Violet laughs, "That would've been a disaster…" Her laughter then intensifies, "Oh, I just had a visual of all the guests, including Charlotte's mother, down on fours in the grass, searching for the rings …"

She's practically cackling with laughter and Pete can't help but join in. It takes them a couple of minutes to sober up.

"You know what I regret about our wedding?" Pete suddenly asks.

Violet lifts her head and looks at him, confusion written all over her face.

"We didn't get to have a proper honeymoon..." he points out, "So, I was thinking… when Cooper and Charlotte come back from theirs; that they watch Lucas for us for a few days, while we go away somewhere, just the two of us."

"Is that what you and Cooper were being so secretive about?" Violet recalls the hushed conversation she spotted the two men having over by the bar.

"Maybe," Pete shrugs.

"This isn't just a ploy to get away from my parents, is it?" Violet teases, crossing her arms over his chest and resting her chin on top of them.

Pete smiles and shakes his head, "As much as I would love to be on the opposite side of the globe from your parents right now…" Violet chuckles. "I really do think we could use a break, just you and me. Maybe make that trip to Zanzibar, the one you and Cooper never got to take; touch monkeys, relax, recharge the batteries…" quietly adding, "…maybe work on number two...?"

Violet's jaw drops ever so slightly, "Are you asking me if I want another child?"

"Maybe…" Pete grins, raising his brows suggestively.

"Wow…" Violet takes a deep breath, "Okay… um… wow…"

Pete can tell she's overwhelmed. He runs his right hand through her hair before cupping her face with both hands, "We're happy, we're stable, Lucas is thriving… We're in a good place, you and me… I think we're ready…"

Violet sighs, "Another baby?" She's more asking herself than Pete.


	10. Old Wounds

Author's Notes: First I want to give everyone following this story a heads up about my new story, "Unanticipated", like this one it's gonna be quite a journey. Secondly, I want to assure everyone that I am not abandoning this story, just because I've added another story project to my 'docket'. But expect update ratio to be slightly slower, not because of the other story, but because I have a major exam coming up that I need to prepare for. So, enjoy the chapter and please review. As always many thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk!

AN2: I just want to preface this chapter that the opinions presented in it doesn't necessarily reflect my own. At times I have to stop and think about what stand each individual character would make to a specific situation.

* * *

><p>Pete's question still ringing in her ear as she's in the kitchen, getting some tea, Violet doesn't realize she has company until another hand suddenly reaches into the cupboard above her head, pulling out a mug. She jumps, almost spilling the content of the mug she's been clutching between her hands for who knows how many minutes, "God, you scared me."<p>

"Everything alright?" Addison gives her a worried glance.

"Yeah," Violet nervously laughs, "Must have zoned out there at some point."

Addison smiles, "For a minute there I thought you weren't speaking to me, either…"

It is said like a joke, but Violet can tell there's more to it than that, "Is everything alright? Is it Sam?"

"Sam and I…" Addison sighs, "…are over, and I thought that with Sam no longer between us, that I could maybe get my best friend back, but Naomi… she's still not speaking to me…" The redhead's smile begins to crack and she sinks into a nearby chair.

Having once been somewhat in Naomi's shoes, Violet can hardly fault the woman. She remembers well the pain and shock of coming home, healed and ready to get her life back, only to find the other woman in her place. Not just with the man she loves, but with her son as well. She feels as though she's stuck between a rock and a hard place, trying to find words to comfort her colleague, when her sympathy primarily lies with the woman not speaking to her.

"But you must have realized it wouldn't be this easy," Violet says, taking a seat next to her quasi-friend. "Just because you and Sam aren't together anymore, it doesn't make the hurt go away. I'm not saying you were wrong to take a chance at happiness, but right or wrong Naomi has the right to her feelings. You may not have meant to, but she still got hurt in all this. Hurt like that, it takes a while to get over…"

"Is that how it was for you?"

Violet is surprised at the question. Up until this moment it seemed like they had this unspoken agreement not to talk about what happened. She ponders on whether to remain diplomatic or to give her colleague the full truth.

"I think my biggest issue was trust," she decides to be honest, "I know we've never really been that close, but you saved my life, you saved Lucas' life and I trusted you… and getting that trust back was… challenging…"

"You know that I didn't do any of it to hurt you, right?"

Violet sighs and gives the redhead a look, "Addison, you know that's not true… Even if we forget the whole mess with Pete, you… you fought me for my child. I know that by suing Pete I forced you to pick a side, but I didn't force you to fight, that was your choice…"

Sighing, she cuts herself off and shakes her head. This is not the conversation she wants to have. She doesn't want to further rip up old wounds, there's nothing to gain from that, "Look, I'm not saying the situations are interchangeable, or that by choosing a relationship with Sam you set out to hurt Naomi, but you weren't unaware of her feelings. You knew what you were potentially giving up. I'm sorry. I know it's not what you wanted to hear…"

Addison bites her lip and forcibly wipes excess moisture from her eyes. She's not crying, yet, but she seems to be right on the brink of it, "I hate this, I hate that I gave everything to… I really thought this was it, my gateway to happiness and… once again I'm left with nothing. And even worse, now I don't even have my best friend to see me through it…" She buries her face in her hands. The hands block most of Violet's view, but she notices a tear trailing down her colleague's inner wrist.

Not really feeling like the right woman for the job, Violet is left to awkwardly stroke the redhead's back, "Would you like to talk about it? You know, whatever it is that happened with you and Sam?" she offers.

"Sam doesn't want more kids," Addison explains, "He's happy with what he has and isn't interested in doing it all again. And as much as I love him, I can't give up that part of me, I can't lead a life where I know I'll never get to be someone's mother… Sam knows this and he's not budging… so I guess that's it…"

"Did he really say never?" Violet asks.

"He says he needs time, but he can't tell me how much, and I just don't have it in me to wait anymore… It's already too late for my body, if I don't do something soon, before I know it it'll be too late altogether…"

"But needing time doesn't automatically translate into 'never', I mean…" Violet hesitates, not very keen on bringing up her own dilemma, knowing how desperately Addison wants what she already has, but now the woman is staring at her expectantly, waiting for her to finish… "Pete wants another child…"

"And you don't?"

"I don't know," Violet says, honestly, "I'm reeling. On one hand there's this part of me that wants to experience everything that I missed out on… first smiles, first laughs, first teeth, first solid meal… And then there's the part of me that remembers the bad, the crazy, and I can't help but think; what if it happens again? I mean, obviously Katie is gone from my life for good, but what if this time around I get post-partum depression or snap in some other unexpected way?"

Addison cocks her brows, "You know how silly you sound right now?"

"I know it's irrational, but that doesn't make it any less scary…"

The redhead shakes her head, "If you don't want to have another kid, that's one thing, but it sounds to me like you do want it, you're just afraid," she points out, "Have you told Pete?"

"Told me what?" As if on cue, Pete enters the kitchen, grabbing a mug of his own, "Hey," he leans in for a brief kiss.

"That's my cue to leave," Addison announces as she grabs her mug and motions to leave.

"Addison," Violet calls out, stopping the woman in the doorway, "You okay?"

Addison shrugs and offers a semi-smile, "I will be."

Pete watches Addison leaves and then turns back to his wife, "What was that all about?"

Violet shrugs, "You know… stuff…"

"Uh-huh," Pete cocks his brows, "And what is it you were going to tell me?" When Violet doesn't respond right away, he nods understandingly, "Ah, it's about what I asked you…"

"Pete… I…" Violet struggles to find the words. For some reason it was easier to think out loud in front of her colleague than it is to explain it to her husband.

"Oh," Pete's face drops, "You don't want it… I understand…"

Violet shakes her head vigorously, "No, Pete, you don't! I… I do want it… I-I want another child…"

Pete stares at her, a grin slowly spreading across his face, "Really..?"

"But you have to see it from my perspective," Violet continues, "…last time I had the rug pulled from underneath me… My world fell apart just as it started to make sense… And I know that the chance for something like that happening again is…" she sighs and shakes her head, "I'm scared… truly, honestly afraid that something will happen… and we'll be right back where we were then…"

Pete cups her face with both hands, "We won't," he promises, "Even if all our fears come true, we are not the same people we were back then. We as a couple are not the same. There's no way I'm letting you shut me out again, and no matter how hard things might get, I'm not leaving. I'm in this, for better and for worse, and not just because you're my wife and I made a vow, but because I love you, Violet, and I cannot imagine my life without you…"

Overwhelmed by the sheer force of his words, Violet circles her hand around the nape of Pete's neck, pulling him down for a loving, tender kiss. Pulling apart, she gives him a wide smile, "Okay…"

"Okay..?" Pete smiles back.

"We'll try," Violet nods, "See what happens…"

Tucking her hair behind her ear, Pete leans in for another, slightly longer kiss. "So, we're trying," he murmurs.

Violet grins, "We're trying…"


	11. Sandbox

Author's Notes: I am sorry I've held back this chapter, it's not to punish you guys, it's to pace my updates so that I get at least a few days to write after my exam next week. So I decided to alternate updating this story and my other story, "Unanticipated", once my exam next Tuesday is done, I will once again dedicate myself completely to my writing (well, I _do_ have work, but you guys get what I mean, right?) and hopefully get back to my regular updating schedule. So, enjoy this chapter, and let me know what you think :) I really love this one.

As usual, I want to extend my gratitude towards my beloved beta, Mediatorsk! :)

* * *

><p>Violet can't help but wonder how she got here. Not in the physical sense of sitting on the edge of a sandbox, keeping an eye on her son as he digs sand into a tiny sky blue bucket with a matching shovel, but more in the sense of her mother sitting on a park bench further away, watching the two of them with pursed lips. Mary Anne has never really been a fan of outdoor activities in general, numerous childhood rants and lectures about rips and stains can testify to that, yet it was she who insisted on coming along.<p>

She hears giggling from the other end of the sandbox and looks up to see a five year old girl playing with what appears to be her grandmother. The older woman's eyes meet hers for a couple of seconds, and Violet catches herself wishing she was her mother. She knows nothing about this woman, yet she's already willing to trade in her real mother for her, because this woman plays with her grandchild, her smiles appear genuine, and the dirty hand prints all over the front of her blouse is a testimony of the fact that she doesn't mind her clothes getting dirty.

"Mama?" Violet looks down to see Lucas reaching his shovel towards her.

"Thank you," she tells her son and proceeds to shovel a couple of loads of sand into the bucket before handing it back to him. This continues back and forth until the bucket is full. She helps the child pat down the sand before turning the bucket for him.

Lucas eyes their creation for a couple of seconds, but too young to really appreciate it he reaches forward and grabs a handful of sand from it. He giggles at the feel of sand between his fingers and starts patting down the miniature castle with both hands until it's nothing more than the mere beginning of a molehill. Violet hands him his shovel and the boy starts the process all over again.

The five year old girl is through running around and climbs into the sandbox, her grandmother following en suit. The woman lets out a tired groan as she plops down on the opposite end of the sandbox, "These youngsters have far too much energy for their own good," she gives Violet a smile and a wink, "Or well, for our good, at least…"

Violet chuckles, "You do a good job keeping up."

"Caffeine, honey," the woman replies, "Only way to make it after fifty, especially if you have grandkids…"

"Is she your only one?" Violet asks, thinking about how the woman's been chasing her around for the better part of an hour.

The woman chuckles and shakes her head, "No, she's fourth outta five; my youngest is expecting number six this summer."

"Then, I've gotta say I admire your dedication," Violet compliments her, thinking about her own mother's lack of initiative.

The woman shakes her head, "Nah, grandparenting is the sweetest gig on the planet, you get'em for a couple of hours, spoil'em rotten and then send'em back to their parents to do the actual hard work…"

"Wish all grandparents thought that way," Violet thinks out loud, immediately casting a worried glance in Mary Anne's direction, wondering if she said it loud enough for her mother to hear.

Following her glance, the woman takes in Mary Anne's rigid posture. Turning back to Violet, she sends her a sympathetic smile, "The ones who don't are the ones who truly miss out on the better things in life. Kids are medicine for the soul. See the world through their eyes and you'll find joy in the simplest of things."

Looking down, Violet can't help but smile at the enthusiastic way Lucas is patting down the sand with his little shovel.

"Have I seen you somewhere before?" the woman suddenly asks.

Not really being a regular feature in the park, Violet assumes the woman knows her from reading her book. It's not the first time, and probably won't be the last. However, she isn't too keen on dredging up all that while playing with her son, so she shrugs and says, "Just one of those faces, I guess."

"I guess," the woman nods towards Lucas, "That's an adorable boy you've got there."

Violet can't help but smile widely at the compliment, "All his father, I'm afraid," she shrugs.

"Maybe," the woman replies, carefully studying the two of them, "He has your nose, though, and your eyes as well. Is he your first?"

"Yeah," Violet nods.

"The next one will resemble you more," she promises, "Nature has a way of balancing these things out. Trust me, I had four, I know all about it."

The five year old tugs at her grandmother's jacket demanding her attention. Bursting with energy and creativity she quickly engages the woman in her game, explaining the little world she's been building while the adults talked. Violet allows herself to listen in for a couple of minutes as the girl goes on about fairies and princesses, pointing to their designated homes. She can't help but look forward to the day when Lucas will be the one with the sandbox village, energetically explaining it to Pete and her, potentially engaging a younger sibling in the game.

The minute she glances up at the park bench where her mother is still sitting, the smile evaporates. Picking her son up, she makes her way back to the bench, "You know, if you don't really want to be here, you don't have to stay."

Mary Anne gives her a puzzled look, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"We've been at the park for nearly an hour, and not once have I seen you try interacting with your grandchild."

"Just because I don't feel like mucking around in that… box…," Mary Anne starts.

"He's two, mom," Violet points out, "A vital part of his playing involves dirt in some way. He loves mucking around and rolling in the grass, and jumping in the puddles whenever it rains. If you really want to be part of his life, have a relationship with him, then you need to start making an effort. And if not, then what the hell are you doing here?"

"I can't say I like your tone very much…"

"_My_ tone? I've been bending over backwards to accommodate you and dad, trying to keep a civil tone between us. I've overlooked every remark you've made about my work, my household and family in hope that you will at the very least try and make an effort to bond with Lucas. Now, I am sorry that you felt excluded from the wedding, but honestly… what did you expect? A woman nearly killed me for my baby and you didn't make as much as a phone call to inquire whether I was alright. If you had bothered to read my book you'd know what I've gone through, but you haven't, just as you've never taken the time to familiarize yourself with anything that I do. I know you tell people that I'm a doctor rather than a psychiatrist, that you look down on my chosen profession, but I like what I do. I help people. Every day I help people cope with the hardship of life, and I'm proud of that…"

Violet angrily rubs the back of her hand across her face, wiping away what is the beginning of tears forming in her eyes. Turning her head away from her mother to help her calm down, she sees the older woman still playing with her granddaughter, "You see that woman over there? The one you've been frowning at for the past hour? That is a real grandmother. That is what I want for my son; someone who throws themselves into the game, not caring if they get a bit mucky in the process, as long as it makes him smile, makes him happy. I'm not expecting you to have her energy level or even her enthusiasm, but if you can't bring yourself to get down to his level and show interest in his world, then I really don't see what you're hoping to accomplish here. Now, I'm going to take my son home, and the next time you show up, you better be ready to get to know him, if not, then just leave. I don't want you in my child's life if this is all you can offer him…"


	12. A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

Author's Notes: Okay, so a couple of things: 1) the exam is now over and done with and I'm back to writing again, yay! 2) I've now written the last of this story, so there's two more chapters after this one. 3) this is my _favorite_ chapter in this story, I've been looking forward to sharing this one with you for a while now.

As always major thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk. And to the rest of you, enjoy and please let me know what you think :)

* * *

><p>There's a light knock on his door. Not expecting any patients for another hour, Pete looks up, thinking maybe it's his wife paying him a visit. Instead he's surprised to find his father-in-law standing in the doorway, "Are you busy, son?"<p>

The sudden use of the pet-name, 'son' has Pete instantly on guard. Stephen didn't really seem that interested in getting to know him during dinner or in any of the other brief encounters they've had since the Turners decided to show up and turn his and Violet's life up-side-down. The sudden change in dynamic has Pete believing the man is looking to accomplish something specific with his visit.

"What do you want?" he asks.

"I assume you've heard what went down between Violet and her mother…"

"I have," Pete deliberately cuts the man off, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms, signaling to the older man that he's not about to let himself be used as some pawn in whatever mind game he has up his sleeve.

"Well, Mary Anne is terribly upset," Stephen explains, "You see, Violet has never talked to either of us this way before, not even when she was a teenager…"

Pete has no sympathies, "She's finally speaking up for herself," he shrugs.

"If that is what she's doing," Stephen says calmly, "Because I have to wonder how it wasn't until _you_ came into her life that this sudden change of personality occurred…"

And they're getting to it… Pete can't help but roll his eyes and shakes his head at the accusation. It seems that just like Mary Anne, Stephen is looking to find something else to blame for their nonexistent relationship with their own daughter and grandchild… and who better to blame than the newly introduced husband?

"No offence, Stephen," Pete has decided that anyone willing to blame his surroundings for his own actions doesn't deserve the decency of being called _mister_, "but do you even know your daughter? Who she is? What she's about? What she's been through?"

"Of course I know," Stephen scoffs.

"So, you just don't care, is that it?" Pete follows up, "Because if it was _my_ child that was attacked and left for dead, I wouldn't be so concerned about ruining my vacation… If that'd been me, I wouldn't care where I'd have to go or what I'd have to give up. If Lucas wound up on a table tomorrow, I'd put a gun to my own head if it meant saving him. Because I'm a _father_, and there isn't anything I wouldn't do for my child… You think I'm poisoning her mind about you? Violet doesn't need me to tell her that you didn't come, didn't call. You didn't bother to check in with her at all until it was finally in your own interest to do so…"

Pete opens his desk drawer and pulls out his copy of Violet's book and flips it open to reveal the jacket photo that he himself took, "I know you didn't read this, but have you looked at the picture? Really looked?" Pete points to the ragged scar going along the underside of Violet's abdomen, "_This_ is where the woman cut her open with nothing more than a paralyzing agent in her system, preventing Violet from moving but still allowing her to feel everything that was done to her. Do you even realize what that means? Your daughter was _tortured_, gutted like a pig and then left to die… if I hadn't found her when I did…"

Pete shudders, not wanting to think about the alternative, he points to the long scar extending from her ribcage to well below her navel, "Here's where they had to cut her open to save her life… It's a miracle that she survived, a miracle that she is who she is today. You and Mary Anne seem awfully concerned with the way you're perceived. You decorate the truth when you can, relocate blame when it suits you… Violet isn't like that. She wrote a book that exposed every aspect of her life, the good with the bad. She didn't simply cast herself as a victim or put herself up on a pedestal for everyone to see. She depicted her full journey to recovery, along with every bump, every setback. Violet did that, knowing she'd be opening herself up to further scrutiny, because she knows there are others out there who do not have her strength, who need that kind of encouragement to survive."

Closing the book, Pete pushes it towards Stephen, encouraging the man to pick it up and take it with him, "You shouldn't be proud of her because she's a published author… you should be proud because every day she gives of herself to help other people. You have the most amazing daughter, but she made it in spite of you, not because of you."

Not really wanting to stay and hear what the other man has to say, Pete walks out of his own office…


	13. Turner around

Author's Notes: Just one more chapter to go until this story is complete. I hope you have all enjoyed this journey and that you like the direction I decided to take with it. I opted to go for what I felt was realistic for the characters I had formed. So enjoy and review, and as always major thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk ;)

* * *

><p>"We're running low on milk," Violet observes as she puts a container of left-over pasta into the fridge, "Add that to the list."<p>

It's a late Friday afternoon and the two adults are clearing the table while their son plays in his high chair. Pete finishes loading the dishwasher before reaching for a pen to add the new item to their ever-growing list of groceries, "Okay, done," he replies.

Walking back to the table, he boxes the rest of the salad and hands it to Violet to put away before picking Lucas up from his chair, urging the child to go play in the living room. Stealing a brief kiss from his wife, he follows the boy and quickly finds himself engaged in a game of building blocks.

Finishing up in the kitchen, Violet stands in the doorway, watching the two with a loving smile. Pete is helping Lucas build a large tower with the blocks, which has now grown so tall that Lucas can no longer reach the top, so the boy is instead handing his father the blocks to place making the tower grow even taller. It doesn't take many blocks before the whole construction comes crashing to the ground, the child instantly clapping and jumping with glee.

Coincidentally, that's when the door bell starts ringing. "Saved by the bell," Violet jokes as she heads out to answer it, leaving it to Pete to clean up the mess of blocks now spread all across the living room floor. She should be used to finding her parents on the other side of the door by now, but she still finds herself surprised. Surprised, because after three days of silence she was beginning to believe they had decided to head home. "Mom, dad…"

"May we come in?" It's a bit politer than usual and Violet feels herself getting wary of wherever this is heading, but she still steps to the side to let them in.

"I didn't know you were still in town…" It's Violet's way of inquiring what they are doing here.

"Well, we're leaving on Sunday," Stephen informs.

"So we figured we'd use what time we have left to see our grandson," Mary Anne follows up.

Violet can't say she's surprised that her parents seem intent on ignoring their fight, but a small part of her can't help but feel disappointed. She knows it's silly to believe two people who've never once admitted they've been in the wrong to _anyone_ for as long as she can remember… that they could start with her.

She nods to the living room, but remains in the doorway and watches as her mother, for the first time in her life, crouches in front of a child and smiles. It's still a bit strained, but Violet recognizes the effort her mother is making. The older woman even ends up taking a seat on the floor as Lucas runs back and forth to show off his favorite toys.

Pete, who's been watching the scene with a subtle frown on his face, approaches her and puts a supportive arm around her shoulders, "How are you holding up?" he asks, gently rubbing her arm and shoulder.

"They're trying," Violet shrugs.

"With Lucas," Pete nods, "But I was asking about you…"

"I don't know," she sighs, "I mean, it's what I wanted, right? My parents bonding with my child…"

Pressing his lips to her temple, Pete murmurs; "It's okay to feel disappointed, Vi… I know you wanted more than this…"

Watching her son climb into Stephen's lap with a Dr. Seuss book in his tiny hand, the old man accepting the book with a smile and reading out loud to the child, Violet leans her head on her husband's shoulder, "It is what it is…" she sighs.


	14. Farewell

Author's Notes: This is the last chapter of this particular story, could there be a continuance in the form of a sequel? It's possible, but I will not make any promises as of right now. I intend to focus on "Unanticipated" for the time being, and I also have another story in the works which I haven't started posting yet, but will at some point ;) So enjoy, tell me what you think, both of the chapter and a story as a whole :) As always, major thanks to my beta, Mediatorsk!

* * *

><p>Violet feels a bit weird for doing this considering everything. Pete didn't really like the idea when she first mentioned it, and this morning when he realized she was set on doing it anyway, he insisted on coming with. She told him no, which he didn't take too well, but in order to do what she needs to do, she has to go alone.<p>

Balancing Lucas on her hip, she hands over her boarding card and ID, the man verifies the information and picture before handing it back to her. At the other side of security she glances at the screen to find the right gate number. Five minutes later she sees them. Stephen is reading the New York Times, Mary Anne seems to be reading, too, but her book is hidden behind the massive newspaper.

"Ait," Lucas calls out, pointing to the two familiar faces.

Mary Anne is the first to react to the familiar sound of her grandson's voice. Looking up she puts away her book and smiles at the sight of him.

Stephen finally noticing their presence as well puts away his paper, "Well, this is a surprise…"

Violet forces a smile, "We wanted to come see you off."

"Without the husband," Stephen notes.

"He had some research to catch up on," Violet lies. The truth is that Pete is too protective of her to settle his grudge with her parents the way she's about to settle hers. Today she's putting the past behind her by forgiving them. She knows it won't change anything between them, that her relationship with her parents will always be distant and strained. She's doing this for her son, because Lucas deserves to have his grandparents in his life, and the last two days have proved that her parents seem willing to really make an effort with him. So for Lucas' sake she's letting go of the hurt, the pain, focusing instead on making her child the happiest he can be.

She takes a seat next to her mother and watches as her parents hold and interact with their grandchild. Lucas reaches out and grabs some of his grandmother's hair, attempting to push it back so her ear is showing, frowning when the hair doesn't co-operate and falls back into place when he lets go. Violet can't help but smile as she realizes Lucas must have picked that up from watching Pete the many times he's tucked stray locks behind Violet's ear. She's surprised to see that Mary Anne doesn't react to it, despite Lucas' numerous hard tugs at her hair, when Violet was a child just touching her mother's hair would've earned her a lecture.

"So," Mary Anne surprises Violet by temporarily turning her attention to her, "Will the two of you come see us out East anytime soon?" Violet doesn't fail to notice her mother intentionally leaving Pete out of the equation, not that it surprises her that much. Her mother has never liked any of her male friends or suitors, and she likes it even less when people contradict her or put her in her place, which Pete has done more than once already.

"Oh, I don't know," Violet hesitates, not sure how far she's willing to go to keep her parents a part of her life, "We're very busy, and…" Not really interested in Violet's excuse, Mary Anne turns her attention back to the toddler in her lap. "But you're welcome to come visit again some other time," Violet quickly throws out.

She's surprised to see the corner of her mother's mouth tugging slightly upwards, almost like the beginning of a smile, though only almost. "Okay," Mary Anne nods, "Then we will."

The stewardess at the gate announces that the gate is now boarding, and Mary Anne hands the boy back to her. That's when Violet notices the book peeking out of her open purse.

"Ma…?" Violet arches her brows in surprise, nodding to her mother's purse.

"I'm still on the first chapter," Mary Anne shrugs dismissively, "It's quite an… interesting read…"

Violet knows from experience that 'interesting' is never a good thing when coming from her mother's lips; it's her _gentle_ way of expressing dislike for something. But Violet isn't surprised, as she always anticipated a certain amount of negativity from her parents over their own portrayal in her book, despite it all being true.

Mary Anne doesn't comment further on the book, and when she and Stephen get up to catch their plane, they devote most of their time saying farewell to Lucas, nodding politely to their daughter as they turn and hand their boarding passes over to the stewardess.

Violet watches them disappear through the gate; then turns around and leaves the secured area with her son on her hip. Approaching the same till she visited earlier, she hands over her boarding card and ID, "I'd like to cancel my flight…"

Seeing her lack of luggage, the man nods in understanding, "Find what you were looking for?"

Violet shrugs, "I don't know, but I'm going home…" Home to her husband, her life and her future…


End file.
